One of my favourite movies of all time is called, “The Princess Bride.” After enjoying the film, I found the novel, and enjoyed that too. It is a tale of adventure, battles, romance, pirates, monsters, and true love. Here’s an extract.
In this scene, the man in black is trying to recapture his lost love, the Princess Buttercup, who has been kidnapped by the evil hunchback, Vizzini. The man in black has already beaten an expert swordsman and a giant. Now he is facing the brains of the criminal kidnappers.
An edited extract from,“The Princess Bride”, by William Goldman:
Vizzini was waiting for him. Indeed, he had set out a little picnic. From the knapsack that he always carried, he had taken a small handkerchief and on it he had placed two wine goblets. In the center was a small leather wine holder and, beside it, some cheese and some apples. The spot could not have been lovelier: a high point of the mountain with a splendid view. Buttercup lay helpless beside the picnic, gagged and tied and blindfolded. Vizzini held his long knife against her white throat.
"Welcome," Vizzini called when the man in black was almost upon them.
The man in black stopped and surveyed the situation.
"You've beaten my swordsman, and my giant," Vizzini said.
"It would seem so."
"And now it is down to you. And it is down to me."
"So that would seem too," the man in black said, edging just a half-step closer to the hunchback's long knife.
With a smile the hunchback pushed the knife harder against Buttercup's throat. It was about to bring blood. "If you wish her dead, by all means keep moving," Vizzini said.
The man in black froze.
"That’s better," Vizzini nodded. "I understand completely what you are trying to do," the Sicilian said. "and I want it quite clear that I resent your behavior. You are trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen, and I think it quite ungentlemanly."
"Let me explain-" the man in black began, starting to edge forward.
"You're going to kill the Princess!" the Sicilian screamed, shoving harder with the knife. A drop of blood appeared now at Buttercup's throat, red against white.
The man in black retreated. "Let me explain," he said again, but from a distance.
Again the hunchback interrupted. "There is nothing you can tell me I do not already know. I have not had the schooling equal to some, but for knowledge outside of books, there is no one in the world as smart as me. People say I read minds, but that is not, in all honesty, true. I merely predict the truth using logic and wisdom. Your explanations are meaningless; we cannot do business together. You wish to keep her alive for ransom, whereas it is terribly important to me that she stop breathing in the very near future."
"Has it occurred to you that I have gone to great effort and expense, as well as personal sacrifice, to reach this point," the man in black replied. "And that if I fail now, I might get very angry. And if she stops breathing in the very near future, it is entirely possible that you will catch the same fatal illness?"
"I have no doubt you could kill me. Any man who can get by my sword-master and my giant would have no trouble disposing of me. However, has it occurred to you that if you did that, then neither of us would get what we want-you having lost your ransom item, me my life."
"We are at an impasse then," said the man in black.
*
Find out how the man in black resolves the difficult situation next week!
Vocabulary:
to be kidnapped–to be captured and held prisoner, usually in order for the kidnappers to receive money for your release
a hunchback–a person whose back is curved downwards because of a spinal problem or disability
a knapsack–a soldier’s or hiker’s backpack, usually carried on the back with straps
a goblet–an expensive drinking glass with a foot and a stem
to be gagged – to have one’s mouth covered so that one cannot speak, such as with a cloth tied around one’s head
to be blindfolded – to have one’s eyes covered so that one cannot see
to edge (forward) – to move forward very slowly and very carefully
to resent something–to feel bitterness or moral indignation at some action
a ransom – money paid to get a kidnapped person back
an impasse–a deadlock; a situation in which no progress is possible because of disagreement between two or more parties
No comments:
Post a Comment